Looper (4)

(Trailer)

2012 action/sci-fi/thriller by director/writer Rian Johnson.

I am not going to give a plot summery because it will be a spoiler.

I am a huge fan of Brick. I think that it is one of the best movies made and so I was super excited to see that Rian Johnson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Hesher, 50/50) were going to make another movie together. Add Bruce Willis (Surrogates) and Emily Blunt (The Five-Year Engagement) and you know it's going to be good.

The movie was fanastic. Everyone brought their A game and really rocked the crap out of every scene and character. The kid (Pierce Gagnon) is AMAZING and really made this movie solid.

My only issue is that it wasn't as mind bending and problem solving/thought provoking as I was hoping for. I only say that because of how intense Brick was and that the trailer hinted at something a little deeper (mind you, the story is completely different than Brick). It was not bad at all, don't get me wrong. I know that when I see it again that I will love it 100% but I just didn't get entirely what I was hoping for.

That being said, it was still intense. I loved the idea behind loopers and the whole time travel scenario. I really liked the TK part (don't want to ruin anything but you will know when you see it) and how they focused on life and fate, etc...

I'm starting to hint at what could be a spoiler so I'll stop.

The guns were cool. The future was cool. I like how they didn't waste any time on anything outside of the main story. I loved the action/gun fights and the cast...yup. This is an awesome movie.

Bonus: Jeff Daniels (The Answer Man).

4/5 ADSENSE HERE

The Raven (3)

(Trailer) 

2012 mystery/thriller by James McTeigue.

Edward Allen Poe must solve the puzzles surrounding a string of murders left by a crazed admirer in order to save the woman he loves.

I didn't find Cusacks (Say Anything, Hot Tub Time Machine) performance as laughable as I thought it was going to be. Mind you, it took him the first half of the movie before he seemed to fully fall into his character and really start to harness Poe, but I wasn't expecting miracles. He was good for the part though in the end....even if there were a few eye rolling, over acting scenes involved.

I don't know much about Edgar Allen Poe besides parts of his collective works that I read in high school when I thought I was being dark, mysterious and cool. I feel like if I had known more about the man that I wouldn't have like the way he was portrayed but I thought the script was decent and the characters well cast.

John Cusack was nothing next to Luke Evans (>The Three Musketeers<
/em>) who played the detective. I thought his performance was great. Also, Brendan Gleeson (The Guard, The Secret of Kells) is always a huge bonus.
Costume's were okay. The blood and guts were pretty good and the suspense/thrill kept me watching with interest. It just didn't take me the whole way. The movie says what it has to say and then the credits roll.

The only thing I really didn't like about this movie was the ending. The climax - when you find out who it is and there is this character just didn't do it for me. I didn't really care; there was no shock, sympathy or anger.

This is not as bad as it looks and holds its own but don't be surprised if it doesn't rock your socks.

3/5


ADSENSE HERE